Campus News

State grant helps university fight sexual assault

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A new grant from Governor Synder will help Michigan State combat sexual assault.

The 38-thousand dollar aid will go towards the MSU Bystander Network, a group that empowers people to take action if they see signs of sexual assault.

The network is working on an educational seminar for upperclassmen that they want to implement by the Fall 2017 semester. The class will build on the sexual assault workshops mandatory for incoming freshman. “It’s taking it a step further and building on that education,” says Leah Short, MSU Bystander Network project coordinator. When it comes to recognizing assault, Sergeant Andrea Munford of the Michigan State Police Department says that it’s important to trust your gut. “A lot of times, [people] may not recognize it for what it is, but they know they have a bad feeling about it,” said Munford.

News
Image of Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Photo taken by Andy Chmura

Lansing falls behind rest of the nation in higher education

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You know how the saying goes. A high school diploma is useless in today’s society. More and more quality jobs are requiring bachelor’s degrees. Unfortunately, this does not sit well in the city of Lansing. According to Census data, Lansing’s high school graduation rate is consistent with the rest of the nation.

News
Feb. 13, Haslett High School on a cloudy Monday afternoon.

Student unions celebrate Black History Month

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On Tuesday Feb. 7, the Meridian Township board passed a resolution in support of Black History Month. As a district, Meridian Township is very diverse and is proud of the black heritage in its community. “Our district is also frequently looking for ways to further educate students on the importance of acceptance,” said Brixie. Brixie, is the treasurer of Meridian Township.

Presidential Race
People cheer while a band plays before Sen. Bernie Sanders' appearance on Oct. 6, 2016 at Adams Field.

MSU students do not expect free tuition anytime soon

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College tuition these days is through the roof and students are stacking up thousands of dollars of debt.  With the presidential election coming up, students are wondering if they’ll ever see free tuition become a reality. Students at the Oct. 6 Bernie Sanders rally at Michigan State University had a lot to say about free tuition. Clara Wilson, a sophomore studying social relations and policy, said “I probably won’t see free tuition while I am a student.

Campus News

Distance, future are deciding factors for Lansing’s future college graduates

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By Alana Easterling
Listen Up Lansing Staff Reporter

Exploring new places and securing a new future are some of the reasons Lansing high school graduates decided to go to college. “I wanted to go somewhere far away,” said Jazmine Petteway, a 2016 Waverly High School graduate. “To be quite honest, college for me will be my getaway. “I’ve never touched the soil of anywhere besides Michigan, literally, and I just figured college could not only be my first time going somewhere, but it can also be my way to not have to come back.”

Petteway was recently accepted to the University of Portland, and will be a part of their 2016 freshman class. She will be the first in her family to go off to college.

Campus News

Fundraisers hope a Promise will loosen purse strings of donors

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By Jack Ritchey
Listen Up Lansing Staff Reporter

The Lansing Promise Scholarship, created by legislation passed in 2009 that made 10 “promise zones” in Michigan, helps provide higher educational opportunities to deserving high school graduates or those who recently completed their GED. The scholarship is a big selling point for MSU Greenline, Michigan State University’s student call center, which asks Spartan alumni to give back to MSU. Jake Evasic, a physics senior at MSU and supervisor at Greenline, says scholarships like the Lansing Promise help callers pull at the heartstrings of alumni and help generate the pathos needed to get them to give back. “I know for sure we call about the Promise Scholarship,” Evasic, 22, said, “it’s something I liked to talk about a lot when I was a caller because you can start getting the alumni to sympathize with what it would be like to not come to MSU.” The scholarship can provide up to an associate’s degree at Lansing Community College or up to $5,000 tuition at MSU.

Community News

Despite prep school struggles, Lansing hopes a Promise will help kids make it to college

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By Jasmine Seales
Listen Up Lansing Staff Reporter

According to the website Start Class, all four of the Lansing high schools, including Eastern High School, Everett High School, J.W. Sexton High School, and alternative school Woodcreek Achievement Center are preforming poorly on test scores, with all four schools producing lower than average math proficiency skills and reading skills compared to other Michigan high schools. Graduation rates have also decreased during the 2014 graduation year at both Woodcreek Achievement Center and Eastern High School. All four schools are also falling behind Michigan’s average graduation rate. Though graduation rates are not high in the Lansing School District, the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce is helping to give an incentive for teens to graduate with the Lansing Promise scholarship program. The Lansing Chamber president Tim Daman granted presented the Lansing Promise program a check for $65,206 on the morning of July 11, boosting their total donations to more than $83,000, and over $1.1 million total in this year’s total donations to the program.

Arts & Entertainment

It’s time you start noticing the art in East Lansing

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By Katie McCoy
Entirely East Lansing

Map of different art locations around downtown East Lansing

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The art scene in East Lansing is a creative and eclectic culture that could exist only in a college town. With many different features, such as the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, the East Lansing Art Festival, and the up-and-coming cultural mosaic, the amount of public art leaves East Lansing with a unique presence. World-renowned architect, and winner of the architect’s Pritzaker-Prize, Zaha Hadid designed the Broad Art Museum which opened in 2012. The stainless steel structure and uncommon architecture brings artists from all around the world to feature their art.

Campus News

Community college a preferable, more affordable choice for some

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By Alexander Smith
Listen Up Lansing Staff Reporter

The differences between a community college like Lansing Community College and a four-year institution such as Michigan State are staggering. According to both colleges’ price calculators, tuition and fees for two full-time semesters (12 credits) for an in-district freshman costs $2,930 at LCC and $10,900 at MSU. That price doesn’t reflect housing costs either, so for anyone already living in Lansing, the savings become a major factor when choosing. “I chose LCC because it’s cheaper, it’s easier for someone like me who doesn’t have a lot of money,” said LCC music student Ben Nelson. “I can do part-time, so I can keep working at my job, and they offer a great program for the major that I want.”

Nelson has no plans to go beyond an associate’s degree.

Arts & Entertainment

Interfraternity Council welcomes Galantis April 15

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Stanley Lassen explains how and why he organized this concert. 

By Chloe Kiple
Entirely East Lansing

EAST LANSING—Members of the Michigan State Interfraternity Council will welcome Galantis and Skizzy Mars April 15 for a concert benefitting the victims of the Flint water crisis. The Grammy nominated DJ duo Galantis and rising hip-hop artist Skizzy Mars will be performing at the Summit Sports and Ice Complex in Dimondale. Greater East Lansing residents and MSU students can party while also supporting a worthy cause. Proceeds will fund new pipes that will replace the old, lead pipes that leached into Flint’s water supply. The problem started in 2014 when Flint switched out of the Detroit water system to use its own to save money.